'Truth Crushed to Earth Shall Rise Again'
What The Critics Say
Having found its voice on Same as It Ever Was, House of Pain delivered an equally captivating effort with its third album, Truth Crushed to Earth Shall Rise Again. Being Anglo rappers in a genre that had grown increasingly hostile toward whites, Everlast and Danny Boy encountered their share of racism and bigotry. And they responded by being unapologetically street and hardcore, while bragging about their Irish heritage. On the whole, the album's subject matter isn't very substantial -- the group still spends too much time boasting. But as was also the case with Same as It Ever Was, the LP is impossible to resist thanks to House of Pain's insanely captivating hooks and Everlast's twisted style of rapping. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
'Same as It Ever Was'
What The Critics Say
House of Pain's self-titled album had its moments, but on the whole, wasn't very memorable. However, the Irish-American group really blossomed on its far-superior and much more hardcore second album, Same as It Ever Was. With this album, Everlast changed his style of rapping considerably and unveiled a much more distinctive and recognizable approach. Sounding twisted, damaged, and maniacal, Everlast grabs the listener's attention and refuses to let go on such wildly entertaining fare as "Back From the Dead," "Over There Shit," and "Runnin' Up on Ya." House of Pain's subject matter -- namely, their superior rapping skills and the threat they pose to sucker MCs -- is far from groundbreaking. But an abundance of strong, clever hooks and Everlast's psycho-like rapping make Same as It Ever Was consistently appealing. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
It's an album that ushered in an era of a thousand suburbanites drinking malt liquor, wearing U.S. Postal Service caps, and reawakening their Irish (or in some cases pseudo-Irish) heritage. And it's also the debut album that ushered House of Pain into the forefront of rap culture for a brief period of time. While it's unfair to expect a whole album's worth of quality material like the dynamite classic "Jump Around," there are some strong points on their eponymous debut that emulate the single's strength. Admittedly, there is a significant amount of filler and the topics du jour aren't exactly the most original in hip-hop, but the impact of such songs as "Jump Around," "Shamrocks and Shenanigans," and "Put on Your Shit Kickers" more than makes up for the filler. A debut for a group that showed immense promise that sadly wasn't fully realized. ~ Rob Theakston, All Music Guide
